Effectiveness of Digital Technology Tools in Teaching Pronunciation to Saudi EFL Learners

Abstract

The use of digital technology has become ubiquitous in every walk of our lives. It has had a significant impact not only on social and technological aspects but also on educational areas, including (English) language teaching. Digital tools, the gift of new technologies, have proved to be an essential component of English Language Teaching (ELT). This study focused on finding out the efficacy of teaching pronunciation via digital tools (CDs, digital books, projectors, smart boards, and synchronous and asynchronous online materials) as opposed to traditional methods (printed materials, drilling, and imitating the teacher) to Saudi male EFL undergraduates. To investigate the differences, a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design (between-subjects) was used. The experimental and control groups (n = 25 in each group) were tested before and after the treatment on similar intra-sentential pronunciation activities at segmental (minimal pairs, word recognition, and consonant and vowel identification) and suprasegmental (stress patterns) levels. The results revealed that the participants in the experimental group learned pronunciation significantly better than the participants in the control group. This means that if students are exposed to digital technology tools, they will learn pronunciation better in comparison to the conventional method of teaching. The study is significant for both teachers and learners as it may help them make use of digital technology tools to improve students’ pronunciation as well as their speaking skills.